Week Three Fantasy Football 2017

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Week Three was the most exciting week yet. It was full of great teams just squeaking by some trash teams: the Colts barely beat the Browns 31-28; the Packers beat the Bengals 27-24; and the Patriots beat the Texans 36-33. There are also a great number of breakout players that played exceptionally. In all, it was just a great week for football.

Luckily, there were not many injuries in Week Three. Kelvin Benjamin is questionable for Week Four after hurting his knee during the loss against the Saints. The MRI revealed no structural damage to the knee, but the Panthers are hesitant about letting him play. Tyler Eifert (back) and John Ross (knee) missed last game and are questionable for next week’s game against the Browns. Julio Jones left the game briefly with a back injury, but he is expected to return next week and continue practicing.

Here are some of the breakouts of Week Three, and there are quite a few of them:

Russell Wilson a sensational game against the Titans. He threw for 373 yards and rushed for an extra 26 of the team’s total of 69. He also threw for four touchdowns to four different receivers. He averaged almost 13 yards per reception. He also had 49 pass attempts, illustrating how much faith Pete Carroll has in him to lead the team in the absence of Thomas Rawls.

Brandin Cooks was terrific against the Texans on Sunday. He had 131 yards of receiving, averaging over 26 yards per reception. He also caught two touchdowns, one of which put the Patriots up 36-33 with less than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He showed off his focus, coordination, and awareness as he barely kept his toes in bounds before tumbling out. After a disappointing game against his old team, the Saints, he was determined to prove that he can step up and fill the void that Julian Edelman left open, and he succeeded.

Eli Manning played incredible in the loss to the Eagles this Sunday. He threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns while throwing at a completion percentage of 74%. He also threw a 77 yard bomb to Sterling Shepard. He gave almost four receivers 45 or more yards of receiving. Also, the Giants had a total of 49 yards of rushing combined, which means that passing is the main offensive strategy. This will result in more passing plays, therefore more yards, and touchdowns.

T.Y. hilton played out of this world on Sunday, taking advantage of the garbage Browns secondary. He was a monster with 153 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 22 yards per reception, and only missed two out of his nine targets. His performance is especially impressive given that he wasn’t playing with his normal quarterback; instead of catching passes from the great quarterback Andrew Luck, he played this incredible game while catching passes from the backup Jacoby Brissett. He hasn’t played terrible in his first two games, but he did not play like the elite wide receiver he just proved he is capable of being.

Another receiver that played like crazy without his usual quarterback is Stefon Diggs. He came off his disappointing Week Two game hard and strong. Diggs had 173 yards of receiving and caught two touchdowns to push the Vikings past the Buccaneers. He had eight receptions and was targeted 11 times. He had almost 80 yards more than the second leading receiver in the game. Weighing just over 190 pounds, Diggs is using his speed to dash past defensive backs and using it to his advantage.

Demarco Murray finally decided to come out of hibernation! After a completely embarrassing start to the season, where he rushed for 69 yards in both weeks combined, Murray came out and bulldozed the rock hard Seahawks defense. He rushed for 115 yards on 14 carries, averaging over 10 yards per touch. He also ran for a 75 yard touchdown, making the Seahawks defense look like they were on rollerblades. He is still fighting for carries with Derrick Henry, but after this game, it looks like he will be the solid RB1.

Another notable superstar was Kirk Cousins. He threw for 365 yards against the fiasco that was the Raiders defense on Sunday. He also threw for three touchdowns to three different receivers. He had a monstrous completion percentage of 83% and averaged almost 15 yards per completion. He threw zero interceptions and gave four of his receivers 50 yards or more. I have always considered Cousins an elite quarterback in the league, and this game may make others see him that way as well.

Chris Thompson confused us all as to what position he plays with his game on Sunday. While he only had 38 yards of rushing, he lead the game with 150 yards of receiving and a receiving touchdown. He only had eight carries all game, and it is unclear whether they will implement him more as a back or a receiver who can catch passes out of the backfield. Either way, he has proven himself to be a crucial member of the Redskins offense.

There are so many players that played remarkable in Week Three, but sadly there is not enough space to include them all. It would be a crime to not acknowledge their excellence, so here are some honorable mentions: Todd Gurley with 149 all purpose yards and three touchdowns; Dalvin Cook with 169 all purpose yards and a touchdown; Pierre Garcon with 142 yards of receiving; Kareem Hunt with 172 yards of rushing and a touchdown; Larry Fitzgerald with 149 yards of receiving and a touchdown; Jordan Howard with 164 all purpose yards and two touchdowns; Case Keenum with 369 yards and three touchdowns; and of course, Tom Brady with his incredible 378 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

Here are some of the busts of Week Three:

Literally anyone on the Ravens. That is all there is to say about that.

Derek Carr, Marshawn Lynch, and Amari Cooper all did not play up to their standards against the mediocre Redskins defense. Carr threw for only 118 yards and two interceptions, one of which was his first throw of the game. Lynch only rushed for 18 yards on six carries with no touchdowns. Cooper had a mere 6 yards of receiving with one reception and five targets. I would not be worried about those three later in the season though. Every team has their atrocious games. I believe that they can bounce back strong next week.

Dez Bryant is completely underperformed against the Cardinals on Sunday night. He had 12 yards of receiving and was only targeted twice all game. One target was for a gain of 15 yards, and the other was for a loss of three. He struggled against the rock solid Cardinals secondary and was visibly agitated. The problem with players with as much emotion and passion as Bryant, is they often fall apart when someone gets into their head.

Week Three amazed football fans with its number of breakout stars. If you have any of these people on your team but are afraid of their inconsistency, just remember what they are capable of doing and maybe take a risk in Week Four.